Spring-wheel.



' A. S. HUDSON.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED k IAR. 9, 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

A. Jfilldmgg Witnesses Attorneys UN I TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER S. HUDSON, 0F SOURLAKE, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO T. S.GROSBIE, 0F SOURLAKE, TEXAS.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 9, 1912. Serial No. 682,640.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER S. HposoN, a citizen of the United States,resldlng at Sourlake, in the county of Hardin and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Spring-Wheel, of which the following isaspecification. The device forming the subject matter of thisapplication, is a wheel having a novel arrangement of spring spokes,whereby pneumatic tires may be dispensed Wltll;

The invention aims to provide a resilient support for the wheel rim,consisting of spokes of novel and improved form, novel means beingprovided for uniting one set of spokes with the other set of spokesadjacent the hub of the Wheel.

With the foregoing and other objectsin' view, which will appear as thedescr1pt1on proceeds, the invention resides 1n the com l bination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a portionof a Wheel, constructed in accordance with the present invention partsbeing shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a radial section upon the line ABof Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the rim of thewheel, the same sup orting the tire 2 which preferably is a solic andunyielding structure. The rim 1 is equipped with inwardly extended ears3, through which pass pivot elements 4 and 5.

The invention further includes alternately disposed spring spokes 6 and7, the spokes 6 and 7 being fashioned preferably from flat steel.Intermediate their ends, and relatively near their outer ends, thespokes 6 are equipped with bearings 8, within which the pivot elements 4are received. Projecting from the bearings 8 are fingers 9, registeringin suitable openings fashioned in the rim 1. The inner ends of thespokes 6 register in radial recesses 19 in the hub 10, the inner ends ofthe spokes 6 being retained in the recesses 19 by means of side plates11, held upon the hub 10 by means of attaching elements 12. As will bereadily understood,

the side plates 11 may be removed from the hub 10, for the purpose ofreplacing the spokes 6.

The primary spokes 6 are curved, and the secondary spokes 7 arestraight, the secondary spokes 7 being 'equipped with bearings let,receiving the pivot elements 5. The inner ends. of the secondary spokes7 are shouldered, as shown at'15, to constitute ahutments for helicalcompression springs 16, retained within casings 17, the casings 17 beingsecured to the .spokes6, by means of attaching elements 18. The casings17 are equipped with inwardly projecting spring fingers 20, engaging thehub 10. The construction, therefore, is such that the casings 17 areheld against movement circumferentially of the wheel b means of theprimary spokes 6, the casings being restrained against movement radiallyof the wheel by the engagement between the fingers 20 and the hub 10.

As will be understood readily, the secondary spokes 7 are mounted forsliding movement in the casings 17, so that the springs 16 may be putunder tension, the inner ends of the secondary spokes 7 being spacedfrom the hub 10, and being spaced also from the inner ends of theprimary spokes 6.

The arrangement of the'spokes 6 and 7 is such that the wheel will havethe desired resiliency, both under a vertically applied load, and toresist a horizontal strain, imposed upon the wheel, if the wheel strikesan obstacle. The springs 16 serve to relieve the spring spokes 7 from astrain extended radially of the wheel, and owing to the fact that thespokes 7 are connected with the spokes 6, the spokes 6 and 7 cooperatein affording a resilient support for the rim.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. A wheelcomprising a hub; a rim; primary spring spokes constituting the soleconnections between the hub and the rim; secondary spring spokesconnected at their outer ends with the rim and spaced at their innerends from the hub and from the primary spokes; and resilient means forconnccting the primary and secondary spokes adjacent the hub, andindependently of the hub.

2. A wheel comprising a hub; a rim; primary spring spokes constitutingthe sole connections between the hub and the rim,

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

engaging the straight spoke and the curved Y spoke to which the straightspoke is tangent, for supporting the other end of the straight spoke forreciprocation independently of the hub. v

3. A wheel comprising a hub; a rim; primary spring spokes constitutingthe sole connectlons between the hub and the rim; secondary springspokes connected at their outer ends with the rim and spaced at theirinner ends from the hub and from the primary spokes; and helical springscarried by the primary spokes and afiording the sole support of theinner ends of the secondary spokes.

4. A wheel comprising a hub; a rim; primary spring spokes connecting thehub and the rim; secondary spring spokes connected at their outer endswith the rim and spaced at their inner ends from the hub and from maryspring spokes connecting the hub and the rim; secondary spring spokesconnected at their outer ends with the rim and spaced at their innerends from the hub and from the primary spokes; casings carried by theprimary spokes, and engaged with the primary spokes against movementcircumferentially of the Wheel the casingsv being engaged with the hubagainst movement radially of the wheel; springs located Within thecasings; the inner ends of the secondary spokes being slidable in thecasings, and engaged with thesprings,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER S. HUDSON.

Witnesses: I Y

W. W. DIX, A. MERCHANT.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

